About the Coverwall

From John and Yoko to Miley Cyrus, Annie Leibovitz to David LaChapelle, the cover of Rolling Stone has always been an art form in its own right. Now you can explore all our covers, and read full articles from classic issues dating back to our 1967 launch in our brand-new Cover Wall.
Explore the Coverwall »

Fans have started an online petition to get the team to change the Thanksgiving Day game entertainment

The Detroit Lions were so bad for so long that just a few years ago there were calls by both media and fans to eliminate the team's annual Thanksgiving Day game. But now that the team is 6-2 and on their way to a potential playoff berth, the Turkey Day matchup with their division rival, defending Super Bowl champs the Green Bay Packers, has suddenly taken on a lot more significance – which is why their fans are furious that the team has booked Nickelback to be the halftime entertainment.

They're so angry that one fan started an online petition to have the Lions change the halftime show. The basis for asking for the change, according to the petition:

“This game is nationally televised, do we really want the rest of the US to associate Detroit with Nickelback? Detroit is home to so many great musicians and they chose Nickelback?!?!?! Does anyone even like Nickelback? Is this some sort of ploy to get people to leave their seats during halftime to spend money on alcoholic beverages and concessions? This is completely unfair to those of us who purchased tickets to the game. At least the people watching at home can mute their TVs. The Lions ought to think about their fans before choosing such an awful band to play at halftime.”

If you think about it, the plea makes sense. Nickelback is a Canadian band, and Detroit is one of the greatest musical cities in America. Maybe the Lions and the NFL are saving Eminem and Stevie Wonder for the playoffs. But what about Bob Seger, Aretha Franklin or Alice Cooper? Kid Rock would surely be down. Iggy Pop is from Detroit. How good would "Lust For Life" sound when you're trying to pump up 80,000 fans playing against the best team in football? For once the Lions have a chance to show off their best, and a Detroit act seems like the way to go.